| Arethusana | |
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| Arethusana arethusa, underside | |
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| Genus: | Arethusana de Lesse, 1951 |
| Species: | A. arethusa |
| Binomial name | |
| Arethusana arethusa (Schiffermüller, 1775) | |
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Arethusana is a butterfly genus from the subfamily Satyrinae of the brush-footed butterfly family (Nymphalidae). It is composed of only one species, Arethusana arethusa, the false grayling.
Subspecies include: [1]
The subspecies Arethusana arethusa boabdil and Arethusana arethusa dentata are considered as full species by some authors. [2]
Arethusana arethusa has a wingspan of 42–47 millimetres (1.7–1.9 in) in males, of 50–54 millimetres (2.0–2.1 in) in females. [3] The length of the forewings can reach 21–25 mm. [4] The upper surface of the wings is dark brown, with a characteristic series of ocher-orange oval markings forming a V and a blackish brown large spot close to the top of the forewings. Also the hindwings have a small blackish spot near the border. The external edges of the wings has a tooth-shaped pattern. The underside of the hindwings is mottled and shows a transversal whitish band dividing the wing and well marked white veins. [5]
This species is rather similar to Pseudochazara graeca and Pseudochazara orestes .
S. arethusa Esp. (43b, c). Above dark brown, with a yellow distal band, which is usually separated into spots in the male, and paler and broader in the female, the apical ocellus being without pupil and the fringes chequered grey and brown. The forewing is yellow beneath, the margin being marmorated with grey like the hindwing. which latter has a dark, in the male sinuous, median line, on the outside of which there is a pale band irrorated with white-grey. The distal band of the upperside varies enormously: it may be broad and continuous, or completely absent from the hindwing and vestigial on the forewing. — In ab. erythia Hbn., from South France and the East, the distal band is slightly dentate, the spots being acuminate: — in ab. dentata. which is the usual form at the Riviera, the spots are evenly and more strongly acuminate, the band therefore resembling a saw. — In boabdil Rbr. (43c) the band, above, is so shaded with smoke colour as to resemble the ground and almost to disappear in the same, only the apical ocellus with very feeble vestiges of the band being more distinct; Spain. — As obscura (43c) Ribbe sent me specimens from Andalusia which are quite black above and very vividly marmorated beneath. — Larva bone-colour, with a red-yellow dorsal-stripe in which there is a thin dark line, a yellow side-stripe and feeble, hardly visible, longitudinal hues; till June on Festuca. The butterflies from July till September, the various forms in some places flying together, being separated in other districts, common on lime-stone mountains, in the whole of South Europe, from Portugal to Turkey and South Russia, everywhere at the Black Sea, eastwards to Saisan in the Altai (Rueckbeil). In Europe the species extends northwards as far as Alsatia, Baden, Hungary (ab. peszerensis) and Galizia. The flight-places are often very distant from one another, being sterile hills and fallow-fields, especially on lime-stone. [6]
This species can be found as far west as Morocco and as far eastward as south-west Siberia and northern Tian Shan. [1] These butterflies prefer grassy and bushy areas, steppes and arid sparse woodlands, at an elevation of 0–2,500 metres (0–8,202 ft) above sea level. [2] [4] [7]
This species is univoltine. The caterpillars overwinter in the first larval instar. The larvae feed on various grasses, including Festuca , Bromus erectus , Brachypodium pinnatum , Cynosurus cristatus , Corynephorus canescens , Dactylis and Poa species. [1] Adults are on wing from July to September. [2]
The meadow brown is a butterfly found in the Palearctic realm. Its range includes Europe south of 62°N, Russia eastwards to the Urals, Asia Minor, Iraq, Iran, North Africa and the Canary Islands. The larvae feed on grasses.
Apatura ilia, the lesser purple emperor, is a species of butterfly native to most of Europe and east across the Palearctic. It is named for its similarity to the purple emperor butterfly.
Erebia epistygne, the spring ringlet, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in France and Spain. Its natural habitat is temperate grassland.
The Lapland ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is restricted to sunny patches in very damp spruce and pine forests and forested unmanaged peatlands. The larva feeds on various grasses and related plants and winters twice. A dry period in the habitat will result in the decline of the species.
The Piedmont ringlet is a member of the family Nymphalidae. It is an Alpine butterfly.
The yellow-spotted ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is associated with (sub)alpine meadows at 900–2,500 m above sea level. It is found in the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Cantabrian Mountains, the Massif Central, the Vosges Mountains, the Carpathian Mountains and the mountains of Herzegovina.
The yellow-banded ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is a high mountain butterfly found in a small area of the Alps in Switzerland and Italy.
The silky ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is a high-altitude butterfly found on screes in the Alps, Pyrenees, central Italy and the Balkans. It is a very variable butterfly.
The marbled ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae.
The de Prunner's ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae.
The black ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is a high-altitude butterfly found in Albania, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania.
Chazara briseis, the hermit, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. It can be found in North Africa, southern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Central Asia through Afghanistan, and north-western China and Tuva. It is found on steppe and in other dry grassy places between 500 and 2,500 meters.
Erebia pandrose, the dewy ringlet, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from the Arctic areas of northern Europe, the Pyrenees, Alps, the Apennine Mountains, the Carpathian Mountains, Kola Peninsula and Kanin Peninsula, part of the Ural and the Altai and Sayan Mountains up to Mongolia.
Erebia melampus, the lesser mountain ringlet, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae.
Pseudochazara anthelea is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and northern Iraq. The males can be easily distinguished from the females by the white base and they are found in dry, stony slopes and gullies, usually on limestone.
Brintesia is a monotypic butterfly genus in the family Nymphalidae and subfamily Satyrinae. Its one species is Brintesia circe, the great banded grayling.
Chazara persephone, the dark rockbrown, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. It can be found from Crimea across the Caucasus and north of the Middle East to Iran; from the southern Urals across Kazakhstan to the southern Altai and west Siberia.
Pseudochazara beroe is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found from western Turkey across southern Transcaucasia and the Elburz Mountains to Kopet-Dagh.
Pseudochazara geyeri, the Grey Asian grayling is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is confined to Albania, Greece, North Macedonia, eastern Turkey and south-western Transcaucasia.
Pseudochazara mniszechii, the tawny rockbrown, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is confined to Greece, Turkey, northern Iran, Balochistan, and the Caucasus.
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